Apple has added a Wi-Fi improvement to recent iPads and Macs with Wi-Fi 6E in iPadOS 26.2 and macOS Tahoe 26.2. These devices can now use wider 160MHz channels on the 5GHz band, enabling faster wireless speeds. iPhones have supported these speeds for some time.
Especially for large uploads, downloads and file transfers, such as AirDrop or large video files on a NAS, this change can increase speed, provided your network is suitable. Important conditions are that you need the latest software, correct hardware and settings on your router.
Faster Wi-Fi: 160MHz channels on the 5GHz band
Following the update to iPadOS 26.2 and macOS 26.2, supported iPads and Macs with Wi-Fi 6E can now take advantage of wider 160MHz channels at 5GHz, instead of the previous 80MHz. This only applies when the device is connected to a 5GHz network. Doubling the channel width can increase the maximum speed, resulting in faster uploads, downloads and local transfers. AirDrop and similar methods also benefit from this. MacRumors has this improvement discovered by chanceas Apple did not mention this upgrade in the release notes.
WiFi network conditions
Not every 5GHz network automatically benefits from this speed increase, even if you have a recent Mac or iPad. Your router or mesh system must Support 160MHz channels on 5GHzand this option must be activated in the settings.
If your 5GHz router is limited to 80MHz, in practice nothing will change and the available route will remain the same narrow, no matter how new your Apple device is. It is therefore advisable to first upgrade to iPadOS 26.2 or macOS 26.2, enable 160MHz on your router and then consciously connect to the 5GHz network of your WiFi system.
Supported Apple Devices
The speed improvement is only available on recent iPads and Macs that are also equipped with WiFi 6E in addition to iPadOS 26.2 or macOS Tahoe 26.2. This is the same case for iPhones, but 160MHz has been available for some time.
- iPhone 15 Pro (Max) or newer
- iPhone 16 (Plus) or newer
- iPhone Air
- iPad Pro 2022 or newer
- iPad Air 2024 or newer
- iPad mini 2024
- MacBook Air 2024 or newer
- MacBook Pro 2023 or newer
- iMac 2023 or newer
- Mac mini 2023 or newer
- Mac Studio 2023 or newer
- Mac Pro 2023 or newer
N1 network chip from Apple
With this update, Mac and iPad users can now get better performance from their 5GHz network, provided their infrastructure supports it. Apple is currently developing its own networking chips, such as the N1 chip, which combines Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), Bluetooth 6 and Thread technology.
Introduced in the iPhone 17 series, this chip offers strong hardware-software integration, increased efficiency, reliability and power savings for features such as AirDrop and Personal Hotspot. Bluetooth 6 also improves battery life by reducing interference. This chip also supports the 160MHz channels.